Means for ventilating stock cars



y 8, 1934. I. v. EDGERTON 1,957,634

MEANS FOR VENTILATING STOCK CARS Filed Dec. 9, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet l May8, 1934. 1. v. EDGERTON MEANS FOR VENTILATING STOCK CARS Filed Dec. 9.1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ImfeTflO R frae/ @9152 I. v. EDGERTON 1,957,634

MEANS FOR VENTILATING STOCK CARS Filed Dec. 9, 1932 s Sheets-Sheet 5 May8, 1934.

Patented May 3, I934 QFEE.

MEANS FOR VENTILATING STOCK CARS Israel V. Edgerton, Winnetlra, 111.,assignor to North American Car Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporationof Illinois Application December 9, 1932, Serial No. 646,454

'1 Claims.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inlive-stock cars, and more particularly to an improved means forventilating railway cars of this type.

While this invention might be applied to other types of vehicles, it isparticularly adapted for use in double-decking railway cars of the typedesigned for transporting small live-stock such as sheep or hogs. Eachof the two decks of the car is similarly constructed and equipped, beingprovided with longitudinally extending ventilating openings in the twoside walls thereof, these openings usually being covered with screens orsimilar means for preventing escape of the animals while permitting afree circulation of air therethrough. According to the presentinvention, flexible closures are mounted inside of these openings, saidclosures being slidable from a vertical position over the openings to asubstantially horizontal position beneath the roof of the carcompartment. Means operable from outside the car is provided forsimultaneously moving all of the closures from open to closed position,or vice versa, said means comprising a rotatable shaft extendinglongitudinally of the car and provided with a hand wheel at one outsideend of the car, and cables extending from the shaft to the severalflexible closures.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improvedventilating for livestock cars, of the type briefly describedhereinabove and disclosed more in detail in the specifications whichfollow.

Another object is to provide an improved form of adjustabl closure meansfor use in live-stock cars.

Another object is to provide improved means for moving the closures toopen or closed position, said means being operable from outside the car.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be more apparentfrom the following detailed description of one approved form ofapparatus constructed and operating according to the principles of thisinvention.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the car, looking at the end thereofprovided with the closure-opcrating mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through approximately one-halfof the car, the view being taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig.3.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section through the car. The left-handhalf of this figure is taken substantially on the line 3ac-3ac of Fig.2, whereas the right-hand half is taken substantially on the line 3y-3yof Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a partial transverse vertical section taken substantially onthe line 4l of Fig. 2, this view being on a larger scale.

Fig. 5 is a detail horizontal section, taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a detail vertical section on an enlarged scale through aportion of the operating shaft and a cable connected therewith, forexample as seen in the plane of Fig. 3.

Fig. '7 is a detail vertical section through a portion of one of theflexible closures, showing the hinge connections, this view being takenfor example in the plane of Fig. 3 but showing the parts on a largerscale.

The railway car is of a usual type comprising end walls 1, side walls 2,a floor 3, and supporting structure indicated generally at 4. The roof 5is supported by a plurality of spaced apart transversely extending beams6. An intermediate horizontal floor or partition 7 supported by crossbeams 8 divides the car into an upper compartment 9 and a lowercompartment 10 which are in all material respects substantial duplicatesof one another and are similarly equipped. The same improved closuremechanism and operating means therefore is provided in each of thecompartments 9 and 10 and a description of one will suffice for both.Exteriorly positioned slide doors 11 are provided substantially midwayof each side wall 2 of the car. Between each side of these central doors11 and the adjacent ends of the car, a longitudinal series of openingsare provided between the upright studs 12, these openings being coveredby the continuous longitudinally extending screens or grilles 13. Theseopenings may extend from a convenient intermediate height substantiallyto the roof of the compartment. The movable closures indicated generallyat 14 are of a flexible type somewhat similar to those used in theordinary rolled-top desk. There are four of these closures, two at eachside of the car, each closure being adapted to cover all of the openingsbetween one of the side doors 11 and one end of the car. It might bestated at this point that the closures for the upper compartment 9 areshown in the drawings in closed position, whereas the closures for thelower compartment 10 are shown in open position, although ordinarily allof the closures would be in the same position at any one time.

Each closure 14 consists of a plurality of parallel longitudinallyextending planks or slabs 15 which are beveled on their inner edges asindicated at 16 so that the closures may be bent through a curved pathbetween their closed vertical and open horizontal positions, The planks15 are connected by suitable flexible hinge members 17 (see Fig. '7),these hinges being preferably mounted on the outer sides of the planksso that the animals cannot rub thereagainst. Any suitable type of hingemembers may be used which have sufiicient play or lost-motion therein toprovide the necessary flexibility. In the type here shown, looped links18 extend through elongated slots 19 formed in bracket members 20secured to the outer sides of the slabs or planks 15.

The end portions of each closure 14 travel in suitable guides 21 whichmay conveniently be formed of angle bars (see Figs. 4 and 5) secured attheir lower ends 22 to the side walls of the car and supported at theirupper ends by brackets 23 from the cross beams 6 or 8 of thecompartments. Each guide comprises a substantially vertical portion 24adjacent the side wall of the car, a substantially horizontal portion 25adjacent the roof, and an intermediate curved portion 26. One or moreintermediate guide members 27 may be used to provide additional supportsfor the central portions of the closures, these guides being in the formof brackets secured at their lower and upper ends to the side wall androof construction respectively and. simply forming a slidable supportfor an intermediate portion of each flexible closure.

The closure-operating means comprises a rotatable shaft 28 extendinglongitudinally of the car through the upper portion of the compartment 9or 10 and rotatably supported in suitable bearings or brackets 29mounted on the cross beams 6 or 8. This shaft may be either solid ortubular and on one end thereof which projects through an end portion 1of the car is mounted a hand wheel 30. A ratchet mechanism of well knowntype, indicated at 31, is provided for releasably preventing rotation ofthe shaft in the direction for lowering the closure members.

Two sets of cables, preferably metallic cables, are connected with thisshaft 28 and with the lower edge portions of the several closures, thecables 32 being for the purpose of elevating the closures, and thecables 33 for the purpose of lowering the closures. In the example hereshown, each cable 32 or 33 is connected at its opposite ends to thelower portions of two opposite closures 14, an intermediate portion ofthe cable being passed through an opening or openings in the shaft 28 sothat when the shaft is rotated the two runs of the cable will be coiledon the shaft (see Fig. 6). The lifting cables 32 coil on the shaft inone direction whereas the lowering cables 33 coil on the shaft in theopposite direction. In the embodiment of the invention here shown, thereare two lifting cables 32 connected with each closure member at pointsnear the ends thereof, and one lowering cable 33 connected with theclosure substantially midway of its length. It will be understood,however, that any suitable number of cables may be used.

Each of the cables passes over a direction sheave or similar guide means34 suitably suspended in the upper corner portion of the carcompartment. The lower ends of the cables 32 are connected directly witha lower edge portion of a closure 14 as indicated at 35. The verticalruns of the cables 33, after passing downwardly from the guide sheaves34, pass around direction sheaves 36 positioned in the side walls of thecar adjacent the position of the lower edges of the closures whenlowered, these cables then extending upwardly and being secured to thelower edge portions of the closures at 37. The longer horizontal runs ofall of the cables 32 and 33 extending to the side of the car most remotefrom the shaft 28 are passed over guide rods 38 secured between adjacentbeams 6 or 8, or over other equivalent guide means, to prevent saggingof the cables.

In operation, assuming that the closures 14 are in the closed positionshown in the upper compartment 9, if the hand wheel 30 is rotated in aclockwise direction the cables 32 will be wound on the shaft 28 and theclosures 14 will be simultaneously elevated to the open positions asshown in compartment 10. t will be understood that the closures may beleft in any intermediate or partially opened position, and that theywill be supported in this position by the ratchet mechanism 31. Duringthis elevating operation, the lowering cables 33 which have previouslybeen wound upon the shaft 28 in the opposite direction will be unwoundso as to pay out the cables and permit the closures to be elevated. Inorder to lower the closures 14, the ratchet mechanism 31 is released andthe hand wheel 30 is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction so as towind up the cables 03 and pay out the cables 32. This will draw theclosures 14: back to the closed position as shown in compartment 9.

It will be noted that while the closures themselves are not accessiblefrom outside the car, they may be simultaneously raised or lowered by amechanism accessible from outside the car at one end thereof, and theclosures may be locked in any desired intermediate or partially openedposition so as to secure the desired ventilation. When lowered, theseclosures form a substantially continuous side wall to protect theanimals from the sun, wind or precipitation.

I claim:

1. In a live-stock car provided with ventilating openings extendinglongitudinally of the side walls thereof, closures within the carslidable vertically into and out of position to close the openings, andmeans operable from outside the car for simultaneously moving all of theclosures to open or closed positions, said means comprising a rotaryshaft extending longitudinally of the car, cables secured to the shaftand to the closures and adapted to be coiled on the shaft in onedirection to elevate the closures, other cables secured to the shaft andto the closures and adapted to be coiled on the shaft in the oppositedirection to lower the closures, and means mounted outside of one end ofthe ear and engaged with the projecting end portion of the shaft forrotating the same in either direction.

2. In a live-stock car provided with ventilating openings extendinglongitudinally of the side walls thereof, closures within the carslidable vertically into and out of position to close the openings, andmeans operable from outside the car for simultaneously moving all of theclosures to open or closed positions, said means comprising a rotaryshaft extending longitudinally of the car, cables secured to the shaftand to the closures and adapted to be coiled on the shaft in onedirection to elevate the closures, other cables secured to the shaft andto the closures and adapted to be coiled on the shaft in the oppositedirection to lower the closures, and a hand wheel mounted on theprojecting end portion of the shaft at one outside end of the car.

3. In a live-stock car provided with ventilating openings extendinglongitudinally of the side walls thereof, closures within the carslidable vertically into and out of position to close the openings, andmeans operable from outside the car for simultaneously moving all of theclosures to open or closed positions, said means comprising a rotaryshaft extending longitudinally of the car, cables secured to the shaftand to the closures and adapted to be coiled on the shaft in onedirection to elevate the closures, other cables se cured tothe shaft andto the closures and adapted to be coiled on the shaft in the oppositedirection to lower the closures, a hand wheel mounted on the projectingend portion of the shaft at one outside end of the car, and a ratchetdevice for temporarily holding the shaft against rotation in thedirection to lower the closures.

4. In a live-stock car provided with ventilating openings extendinglongitudinally of the side walls thereof, closures formed of flexiblyconnected sections movable within the car vertically into and out ofposition to close the openings and movable substantially horizontallybeneath the roof when elevated to open positions, guides mounted withinthe car in which the closures are slidable, each guide having asubstantially vertical section adjacent a side wall of the car, asubstantially horizontal section adjacent the roof and an intermediatecurved section, and means operable from outside the car forsimultaneously moving all of the closures to closed or open positions,said means comprising a rotary shaft extending longitudinally of thecar, two sets of cables secured to the shaft and adapted to be coiledthereon, one set in one direction and the other set in the oppositedirection, direction sheaves in the upper side corners of the car overwhich the cables are passed, all of the cables being secured to thelower portions of the closures, direction sheaves mounted in the caradjacent the lower edges of the closures when in closed position, oneset of the cables being passed about these sheaves, and means mountedoutside of one end of the car and engaged with the projecting endportion of the shaft for rotating the same either direction.

5. In a live-stock car provided with ventilating openings extendinglongitudinally of the side walls thereof, closures formed of flexiblyconnected sections movable within the car vertically into and out ofposition to close the openings and movable substantially horizontallybeneath the roof when elevated to open positions, guides mounted withinthe car in which the closures are slidable, each guide having asubstantially vertical section adjacent a side wall of the car, asubstantially horizontal section adjacent the roof and an intermediatecurved section, and means operable from outside the car forsimultaneously moving all of the closures to closed or open positions,said means comprising a rotary shaft extending longitudinally of thecar, two sets of cables secured to the shaft and adapted to be coiledthereon, one set in one direction and the other set in the oppositedirection, direction sheaves in the upper side corners of the car overwhich the cables are passed, all of the cables being secured to thelower portions of the closures, di-

rection sheaves mounted in the car adjacent the lower edges of theclosures when in closed position, one set of the cables being passedabout these sheaves, and a hand wheel mounted on the projecting endportion of the shaft at one outer end of the car.

6. In a live-stock car provided with ventilating openings extendinglongitudinally of the side walls thereof, closures formed of flexiblyconnected sections movable within the car vertically into and out ofposition to close the openings and movable substantially horizontallybeneath the roof when elevated to open positions, guides mounted withinthe car in which the closures are slidable, each guide having asubstantially vertical section adjacent a side wall of the car, a substantially horizontal section adjacent the roof and an intedmediatecurved section, and means operable from outside the car forsimultaneously moving all of the closures to closed or open positions,said means comprising a rotary shaft extending longitudinally of thecar, two sets of cables secured to the shaft and adapted to be coiledthereon, one set in one direction and the other set in the oppositedirection, direction sheaves in the upper side corners of the car overwhich the cables are passed, all of the cables being secured to thelower portions of the closures, direction sheaves mounted in the caradjacent the lower edges of the closures when in closed position, oneset of the cables being passed about these sheaves, a hand wheel mountedon the projecting end portion of the shaft at one outer end of the car,and a ratchet device for temporarily holding the shaft against rotationin the direction to lower the closures.

7. In a live-stock car provided with ventilating openings extendinglongitudinally of the side walls thereof, screens fixed in the outerportions of the side walls and covering the openings, closures formed offlexibly connected sections movable within the car vertically into andout of position to close the openings and movable substantiallyhorizontally beneath the roof when elevated to open positions, guidesmounted within the car in which the closures are slidable, each guidehaving a substantially vertical section adjacent a side wall of the car,a substantially horizontal section adjacent the roof and an intermediatecurved section, and means operable from outside the car forsimultaneously moving all of the closures to closed or open positions,said means comprising a rotary shaft extending longitudinally of thecar, two sets of cables secured to the shaft and adapted to be coiledthereon, one set in one direction and the other set in the oppositedirection, direction sheaves in the upper side corners of the car overwhich the cables are passed, all of the cables being secured to thelower portions of the closures, direction sheaves mounted in the caradjacent the lower edges of the closures when in closed position, oneset of the cables being passed about these sheaves, a hand wheel mountedon the projecting end portion of the shaft at one outer end of the car,and a ratchet device for temporarily holding the shaft against rotationJ in the direction to lower the closures.

ISRAEL V. EDGERTON.

